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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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10. It has been suggested that with a devastating war in progress the time is The League would fain have deferred their inopportune for political changes. representations till the conclusion of the War But the League cannot be blind to what is going on in the world around them, and especially to the great schemes of political and social reconstruction which, with superb courage and foresight, England is undertaking at home and abroad, in spite of the overpowering demands of the War. She is attacking controversial and difficult problems which have baffled statesmen for generations-Home Rule for Ireland, parliamentary reform (involving woman's suffrage, universal suffrage for men, plural voting, propor- tional representation, redistribution of seats, the constitution of the House of Lords), tariff reform, educational reform, liquor prohibition, bounties to farmers, minimum wage for labourers, etc. She has just concluded an eventful session of the Imperial Conference dealing with far-reaching constitutional changes of the Empire, bearing on the destinies of India and the Colonies.

11. The impelling force in all this has been that spirit of liberty and of self- development on national lines, of which England has ever been the champion and Mr. Balfour, in addressing the which is the watchword of the Allied Powers. Canadian Parliament at Ottawa on the 29th May, said :-" Wherever you find democracy and the spirit of liberty abroad and that great spirit of self-development on national lines, there you find the friends of the Allies and the enemies of the Central Powers. We are convinced of only one form of Government, by whatever name it may be called, viz., where the ultimate control is in the hands of the people. We have staked our last dollar on this; and if democracy fails us, we are bankrupt indeed. But we know that democracy will not fail us.

12. The League feels confident that the Imperial Government will not hesitate to grant to the people of Ceylon the small instalment of freedom indicated in paragraph 9, to manage their own lives, make their own mistakes, gain strength by knowledge and experience, and acquire that self-confidence and self-respect Thus alone can Ceylon, which are indispensable to national progress and success. recovering her individuality and renewing her life, proud of her ancient traditions and ideals, work out her development on her own lines, and be enabled to contribute to the strength and solidarity of the Empire.

President:

I have, &c.,

W. A. DE SILVA, Honorary Secretary of the Ceylon Reform

League

ANNEXURE A (referred to in paragraph 1).

CEYLON REFORM LEAGUE. Committee:

SIR PONNAMBAlam ArunachalAM, Kt., M.A. (Cantab.), President of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), late Ceylon C.S., and Member of the Executive and Legislative Councils.

Honorary Secretary :

W. A. DE SILVA, J.P., Landed Proprietor, General Manager of Buddhist Schools in Ceylon, President of the Bauddharaksha Sabha, Member of the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch).

Honorary Treasurer:

F. R. SENANAYAKE, B.A. (Cantab.), Member of the Municipal Council of

Colombo, Director of the Bank of Colombo, Landed Proprietor.

Other Members:

H. L. DE MEL, J.P., Member of the Municipal Council of Colombo, President of the Low Country Products Association (1916), Landed Proprietor and Merchant.

B. F. DE SILVA, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon-

J. W. DE SILVA, Barrister-at-law.

C. GNANASIARAM, J.P., and Landed Proprietor.

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DR. C. A. HEWavitarane, M.R.C.S. (England), L.R.C.P. (London). A. ST. V. JAYAWARDENE, Barrister-at-law, Member of the General Council of

Advocates, President of the Ceylon National Association (1916). AMADORIS MENDIS, Merchant and Landed Proprietor.

JAMES PIERIS, LL.M., B.A. (Cantab.), J.P., President of the Ceylon Social Service League, Member of the Municipal Council of Colombo (1898- 1908), President of the Low Country Products Association (1908), Presi- dent of the Ceylon National Association (1915).

DR. E. V. RATNAM, F.R.C.S. (Edin.), President of the British Medical Association (Ceylon Branch). Member of the Municipal Council of Colombo.

E. J. SAMARAWICKRAME, Barrister-at-law, Member of the General Council of Advocates, President of the Ceylon National Association, President of the Low Country Products Association (1915).

O. B. WUJEYASEKERE, Merchant and Landed Proprietor, Managing Director

of the Bank of Colombo.

D. R. WIJAYAWARDENE, B.A., LL.B. (Cantab.), Honorary Secretary of the Ceylon

National Association and the Ceylon Social Service League.

44996

No. 2

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 10th September. 1917.)

(Confidential.)

a

SIR,

Ceylon, 2nd August, 1917. WITH reference to my despatch No. 399, of the 4th of July,* forwarding memorial from the Ceylon Reform League on the subject of the administration of the Colony, I have the honour to transmit, for your information, a confidential memorandum on the same subject furnished to me by Mr. H. L. de Mel, one of the signatories of the memorial.

2. Mr. de Mel was, till the present year, Chairman of the Low Country Products Association, of which he is still the guiding spirit, and is a

man of education and ability, to whom, in matters affecting the plumbago and coco-nut interests, the Government has been indebted for valuable assistance and advice.

3. You will observe that Mr. de Mel speaks of twelve official members, but in this he includes the Governor, who does not in Ceylon, as a rule, exercise his original

vote.

4. For the reasons stated in my despatch under reference I refrain from com- ment on Mr. de Mel's memorandum, unless you desire to be furnished with an expression of my views.

I have, &c.,

Enclosure in No. 2.

JOHN ANDERSON,

Governor, etc.

CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM FURNISHED BY MR. H. L. DE MEL. A Brief Note on Council Reform.

In keeping with the progress of the Empire it is a legitimate ambition of the people to claim to take a greater interest in their own affairs, but they must prove their own competence by so managing and conducting their own affairs on sound lines. Matters of greater concern are engaging the minds of the Empire, and the discussion of a parochial matter of this nature is hardly opportune.

The clamour for reforms has, however, existed since 1909, when constitutional agitation culminated in the grant of three additional Ceylonese members. The changes sought then were to do away with the injurious representation by race and substitute a territorial basis. This was not allowed. The result being that, in spite of education, Ceylon to-day is biased by trammels of race, caste, and religion;

* No. 1.